Pedigree Spotlight: Alternation, Dialed In & Premier Pegasus

Alternation
has been a model of consistency, finding the winners circle three times in four
career starts. Boasting a perfect record at Oaklawn Park, Alternation is coming
off two impressive victories. The Donnie Von Hemel trainee started 2011 off
with a bang, defeating Derby hopeful Elite Alex in an allowance race at
Oaklawn. He followed that win up with an even more impressive performance,
making a sweeping move to the lead at the top of stretch, Von Hemel's colt
cruised to a 3 ¼ length victory. So far Alternation has done nothing wrong in
defeating two allowance fields at Oaklawn. But now it's time to see how much
class and talent this colt has. His next start will most likely be in The Rebel
Stakes at Oaklawn Park. It will be his first attempt in stakes company.

Alternation
is sired by Distorted Humor. Distorted Humor was a lightning fast horse, who was
best going around one turn. A multiple grade II winner, Distorted Humor nearly
broke the track record for 7 furlongs at Keeneland in the 1998 Commonwealth
Breeder's Cup Stakes. As good as he was as a race horse, he's been even more
impressive in the breeding shed.

Distorted
Humor is the sire of 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide. He's
also the sire of grade I winners Drosselmeyer (last year's Belmont Stakes,)
Commentator, Flower Alley, Any Given Saturday and multiple grade II winners in
the filly Hysterical Lady and the colt Regal Ransom.

The dam of
Distorted Humor is Danzig's Beauty. Danzig's Beauty was a very talented filly,
and won the grade II Gardenia Stakes. She also ran a credible 2nd place finish
in the grade I Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park.

Danzig's
Beauty has produced six winners, including the filly Dancing Gulch. Dancing
Gulch was able to run a distance of ground, winning the Coconut Grove Stakes at
the distance of 1 mile and 1/8th at Hialeah. She won a total 7 races in 20
starts and over $ 215,000.

Alternation's
dam is Alternate. Alternate was a very consistent filly, reaching the winners
circle 6 times in 23 starts. She scored back to back wins in the 1 mile and
3/8th's Robert G. Dick Memorial Breeder's Cup Handicap.

Alternate is
a daughter of the great Seattle Slew. One of the greatest race horses of all
time, Seattle Slew is the only horse ever to win the triple crown with an
undefeated record. Seattle Slew is the sire of champions, A.P. Indy, Slew
O'Gold, Capote, Surfside, Swale, Vindication, and Landaluce.

The dam of
Alternate is Strike A Balance. Strike a Balance has produced 9 winners,
including the Canadian Horse of the Year and millionaire Peaks and Valleys. She
also produced the unraced mare Equilibrate. Equilibrate has produced 7 winners,
including the 2002 Tampa Bay Derby winner Equality.

Alternation
has royal bloodlines with champions in his pedigree. The 10 furlong Derby
distance should not be an issue, both his sire and dam were able to get a
distance of ground. He's yet to step into stakes company and has to answer
questions about his class. He's not posted huge speed figures as of yet and
hasn't faced the toughest competition. If he can live up to his pedigree, I
could see this colt taking big leaps in his quest to the Kentucky Derby.

Dialed In
has been Dialing up some impressive performances in his three career starts. He
broke his maiden in his first start, running under the Twin Spires of Churchill
Downs, Dialed In closed from last to win impressively. He started out 2011 with
a bang, breaking last again, Dialed In made his move at the quarter pole and
showed a ferocious kick to take the grade III Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream
Park. He defeated Derby hopeful Gourmet Dinner, who went on to run a strong 2nd
place finish to Soldat in the Fountain Of Youth Stakes. Dialed In ran
yesterday, against older horses in an allowance race at Gulfstream. He sat off
a slow pace and made his move at the top of the stretch, but his stablemate, 4
year old Equestrio was already gone. Dialed In made up good ground against a
very slow pace to only lose by a ½ length. It was a minor setback, and he has
plenty of room to improve.

Dialed In's
sire is Mineshaft. A son of the great A.P. Indy, Mineshaft was named Horse of
the Year in 2003, despite only two years on the track. Unraced at two, he
started his career in Europe, before coming to the U.S. late in his three-year-old
season. At four, Mineshaft won four grade I's, including three in a row in New York,
sweeping the Suburban Handicap, The Woodward, and The Jockey Club Gold Cup.

As a young
sire, Mineshaft is the sire of Dwyer winner, Fly Down, and A.U. Miner, who won
the marathon Greenwood Stakes at Parx Race Track. Mineshaft is also the sire of
Discreetly Mine who won the grade I Kings Bishop stakes at Saratoga. He also
won the grade II Amsterdam Stakes by an impressive 8 lengths.

The dam of
Mineshaft is Prospector’s Delite. Prospector’s Delite was a tough horse in her
own right, a multiple grade I winner, with wins coming in the Acorn Stakes and
the Ashland Stakes. Prospectors Delite has produced five winners, all of them
have won over $100,000 in purse money. She is the dam of Tomisue’s Delight.
Tomisue’s Delight is a multiple grade I winner, with wins coming in the 1997
Ruffian Handicap and the 1998 Personal Ensign Stakes. She also was an
impressive 2nd in the 1997 Kentucky Oaks. She is the dam of the grade I winning
colt Mr. Sidney.

The dam of
Dialed In is Miss Doolittle. Miss Doolittle has produced five winners including
the sprinter Hometown Boy. Hometown Boy won four races in his career and purse
money totaling over a $149,000.

Miss
Doolittle is sired by the great Storm Cat. She is out of the mare Eliza. Eliza
was a dynamite filly, winning the 1992 grade I Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies, and
the 1993 grade I Santa Anita Oaks. She also ran a credible 2nd in the 1993
Kentucky Oaks. She was named champion two-year-old Filly in 1992. Eliza has
produced 8 winners.

Dialed In
has been ultra-impressive in his short career so far. He's only started three
times, so he's light on experience and has yet to be in a dog fight. I believe
his talent is limitless and with his pedigree he should be able to handle the
classic 10 furlong distance. A little more race experience could lead to Dialed
In, dialing his way to the Churchill Downs winners circle!

Premier
Pegasus has been a model of consistency in his four career starts. He recorded three
wins in his two-year-old season, capping his year off with a dominating
performance in the grade III Hollywood Prevue Stakes. The Cho Myung Kwon
trainee started this season in the grade II San Vicente, where he pressed the
fast pace of The Factor and faded slightly to finish 3rd, beaten 3 ¼ lengths.

Premier
Pegasus is sired by Fusaichi Pegasus. Fusaichi Pegasus was a fiery horse who
once flipped over during a training session for the 2000 Kentucky Derby. But
that fire in the Pegasus's personality translated to the track, winning the
2000 Kentucky Derby before being defeated in the Preakness. Fusaichi Pegasus
also recorded wins in the grade II Wood Memorial and the grade II Jerome
Stakes.

Fusaichi
Pegasus has been a very useful sire. He's the sire of turf millionaire and
grade I winner Champ Pegasus. Champ Pegasus won the grade I Clement Hirsch at
the 10 furlong distance; he also won the grade II Del Mar Handicap at the
distance of 1 mile and 3/8th's. Fusaichi Pegasus is also the sire of Roman
Ruler, who won the BC Juvenile and the Grade I Haskell Stakes. Rule has been
his top son to date.

The dam of
Fusaichi Pegasus is Angel Fever. Angel Fever has produced 3 winners, including
Bonus Fever. Bonus Fever won over $400,000 in his race career. Fusaichi Pegasus
is sired by the great Mr. Prospector. Mr. Prospector is the sire of many
champions and millionaire's including, Seeking The Gold, Rhyme, It's In The
Air, Homebuilder, Gulch, Forty Niner, Educated Risk, Dancethruthedawn, Aldebaran,
Afleet, and Chester House.

Pemier
Pegasus's dam is Squall Linda. Squall Linda has produced 4 winners including
the colt Street Hero. Street Hero won the grade I Norfolk Stakes at a distance
of 1 mile and 1/16th's at Santa Anita. Squall Linda was sired by Summer Squall.
Summer Squall was undefeated at 2. At 3, he won the Preakness Stakes, the Jim
Beam Stakes, the Bluegrass Stakes, the Pennsylvania Derby, the Fayette
Handicap, and the Kentucky Breeder's Cup Stakes. As a sire Summer Squall
produced dual Classic winner Charismatic, and as a broodmare sire, he produced
champion Summer Bird.

The dam of
Squall Linda is Glimmer Glass. Glimmer Glass won 7 of her 20 career starts. As
a broodmare she has produced 7 winners including, Kohen With a K, who won 10
of his 59 starts, and purse money totaling over $247,000.

Premier
Pegasus is a very quick race horse, but he's yet to go around two-turns and has
yet to shown the ability to rate. If Premier Pegasus wants to find himself in
the starting gate in the first Saturday in May, he will need to improve off his
last race. He has the pedigree to run all day, now we'll see if he has the
talent.

Well,Ernie Munick comes from Royal Horse player bloodlines. But even more impressive is the heritage of one of the greatest Canine's this world has ever seen. Jelly Roll truely is the modern day canine Seattle Slew.

Scott, now that you're knee-deep in DNA, please explain to me which nick or cross caused me to become a compulsive horseplayer who arranges his life around his dog. Would you have recommended a different female line to Herman (my father)? Keep up the hardcore research.

I live in KY and Keeneland is my home track, so I'm lucky to get to see some of the best horses in the world. I believe I have a good eye for picking out Derby contenders. I picked out Afleet Alex as a 2-yo after I saw his awesome, strong, late kick in the BC Juvy and knew he was going to be a great runner. I picked out Super Saver in November of his 2-yo year and others as well. So, I think I have a good judge of talent. A few characteristics I like to focus on in 2-yos/young 3-yos are their pedigrees which can tell you a lot, horses that have a very strong, late kick (e.g. Afleet Alex, Street Sense), their running style and their speed figures. My "Derby Dozen" as of today (03/08) are: 1) Elite Alex 2) Sway Away 3) To Honor And Serve 4) Dialed In 5) Brethren 6) Alternation 7) Bench Points 8) Astrology 9) Awesome Patriot 10) Rogue Romance 11) Archarcharch 12) Wilkinson. All of these horses have solid pedigrees and should have no problem getting the Classic distances.

Nice Write up Scott, I am high on Oaklawn horses every year, especially considering Oaklawn is in my hometown. The fact is so many TC contenders and race winners and Eclipse award winners coming out of Oaklawn means something, if you want to get the foundation for a champion race horse come to Oaklawn where the track is deep and tiring and gives the horse that championship conditioning. You can't get that at other tracks. Loved the write up and the pedigree analysis, im all about the blood line and the sire and dam influence on stamina and speed. My picks this year are 1. Stay Thirsty 2. Astrology 3. Sway Away 4. Uncle Mo 5. Elite Alex. What you see in all of my picks other than Mo is Classic distance pedigree influence from the sire, its important to be able to get that 10f out of a horse even without changing up the training schedule as you'd have to do with a medaglia d'oro colt. Especially important is the 12f pedigree seen with Stay Thirsty out of AP Indy's son Bernardini. He is going to be a special colt.

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Brian has been a passionate fan of horse racing since birth. Taken to the races at a very young age, he has been lucky enough to see all the greats in person from Secretariat, Forego, and Ruffian through Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta, and American Pharoah.

Before coming to the Nation, Brian displayed his love for the sport through the development of his horse racing website, which quickly became one of the most popular blogs in the game. As Editor of Horse Racing Nation, Brian authors a daily column as Zipse at the Track, or ZATT for short, and adds his editorial flare to the overall content of the website. Brian also consults for leading contest site Derby Wars, and is a Vox Populi committee member. A horse owner and graduate of DePaul University, Brian lives just outside of Louisville with his wife Candice and daughter Kendra.